So, I am looking at the strong blue fluor diamond that we had shipped from WF for the first time in natural sunlight. When I have it in direct sunlight, it shoots these beautiful rainbows all over the place BUT

it also has a purple haze . . . now I don''t see anything milky per se . . . I guess basically I don''t know what I am looking for. There is definitely a hazy look that is of the color purple/blue. I am not turned off by it really, but it is noticible.

Those of you with strong blue fluor stones, what do you see in yours, does it sound the same as what I am seeing? Also, if any of you have seen a milky looking stone due to fluor, would you post a picture or a description? Any of you experts have a strong blue fluor stone that is milky so I can see what I am suposed to be looking for?

Anyway, even the purple haze doesn''t really bother me I don''t think, it is so shiny and pretty in all other lighting and even in the direct sunlight, it isn''t dead looking or ugly, just different.

Welcome! I have a 3.56 carat pear with strong blue flourescence, and I don''t see anything hazy or milky in it. I look on flourescence as an extra added attraction as long as it doesn''t make the stone dull.

"I never met a diamond I didn't like."No jewel is as beautiful as a cat's eyes.Madam Bijoux (Gabrielle)

I just bought a much smaller .4 I with very strong blue fluor and in sunlight (or any other light) it doesn''t show anything but white and sparkly. But sometimes I do get a little blue coming through, but not as much as I thought it would, though.

I saw a VERY STRONG blue fluoro stone once at a pawnshop - it was about 2 carats and milky and oily are an *understatement* of what I saw in this stone. In fact it was SO extreme it was almost charming in a people of the fog sort of way. it looked like it lived in a fog bank. It was truly the strangest thing I''ve seen in a diamond. It just radiated this thick fog in a way I can''t explain better than that. a slight blue aura would be great fun though, I''d prefer that myself to a plain or faint stone

Sara

The most beautiful experience we can haveis the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. ~ Albert Einstein ~

Anyway, even the purple haze doesn''t really bother me I don''t think, it is so shiny and pretty in all other lighting and even in the direct sunlight, it isn''t dead looking or ugly, just different.

Thanks for any help in evaluvating this in sunlight.

it is a personal preference thing. I *want* my next diamond to have that quality. Some people hate it because they want just clear clear with nothing else. Some people really seek it out because they love that bonus effect on an already gorgeous diamond :)

Sara

The most beautiful experience we can haveis the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. ~ Albert Einstein ~

A fraction of strong blue fluorescing stones get hazy. I have seen a couple in the past; one got very foggy and one was a little hazing...I assume that, when it is present, the degree of haziness is variable. I have an OEC with strong blue fluorescence, and in daylight it is a violet blue, still crystal clear though, just radiates that very pastel blue tint.

I wouldn''t be crazy about strong fluorescence in a ring I was going to wear day in and day out, unless it was countering a faint yellowish tint, say a J-L. But that''s a matter of personal taste; some folks love it and I like it in my other ring. But I wouldn''t accept any haziness.

If you want to see what the affect really is - get a piece of lexan about 1/4 " thick ( doesn''t have to be a very large piece ) maybe about 3-4 inches. Dealers that sell formica probably will be happy to give you a scrap piece that size.

Take the diamond out in the sunlight where it looks blue, and then hold the lexan over the stone. The lexan will filter out the UV, and you''ll be able to see the difference.

What most people would describe as "haze" is what the trade calls milkiness.

It is a stone by stone call but fluorescence tends to affect the transparency of the stone...some more noticeably than others.

Whether you think this is attractive, is a personal preference consideration.

AWESOME !!! Thank you for the pictures, Ellen and Al . . .I couldn''t locate my digital camera and now the sun is behind the clouds. Maybe if the sun comes out later today, I will try and take a picture of the diamond.

Al, in your second and third pictures and Ellen in both your pictures, I see the same "hazy blue" look I see in my diamond, only my haze might be a touch more . . . though it just might be that my stone looks like it has more cause it is a little bigger.

When I say it has a haze, it is that diffuse blue look.I still think it looks pretty . . . guess I have a decision to make.

Thanks guys. Hey keep the pictures coming . . . this is just the kind of comparison that will not only help me but all future PS users who are comparing a stone with fluor . . .

I think mine is med. flour, but I don''t know for sure. I do know that if I put it on a UV box the center stone glows dimly and a few of the side stones get to be very dark blue, so it might be med. blue flourescence. Anyway, I really like the blue tone that it takes on in the sun, and the chic silvery look it has on cloudy days; it''s always changing!

A pic of a very dirty ring in full sun:And the much cleaner version without sun:And a Small picture of a clean ring in partial sun.

It had a periwinkle "haze" from the side. The stone was great but from the side it was not as transparent as my other stones. In bright sun there was a change of the top down look, but it did not bother me since I don''t take long looks at my diamond in bright sun.

But the side view, which I could see even indoors, bothered me.

In retrospect, if the stone were set in a good basket setting that side view would not be very noticeable. It was a great stone, and strong blues can be great, so you have to decide for yourself.

I have a different stone in Med Flo. and it is fabulous. No haze at all, just a lovely bright stone.

So, I went out again when the sun came back out and looked at it again. This time I was out side in direct sunlight and it looked less hazy, more like the pictures posted above . . . still has a blue aura . . . but not as hazy as when I had it in the sunlight coming through my dining room window at home.

I also recruited one of my best friends to come take a look at it with me. She LOVED it and said she couldn''t even see the haze I was talking about and that it was the prettiest stone she''s ever seen . . . that makes me feel a lot better. Maybe, I am just being paranoid . . . there is that possibility . . . given that I am so nervous about my BF spending so much of his hard earned money on something for me . . . eek !!!

Thank you all for being so helpful, particularly those of you that took the time to post pictures so I could compare . . .I think we will probably keep it . . . we LOVE how it looks in halogen, fluorescent and shaded natural lighting . . . only direct sunlight, looking top down brings out the hazy quality but even then, it isn''t ugly, just different . . . I wish I could have all of you see it and give me personal opinions . . .

Date: 1/3/2007 1:52:46 PMAuthor: hikerchickSo, I went out again when the sun came back out and looked at it again. This time I was out side in direct sunlight and it looked less hazy, more like the pictures posted above . . . still has a blue aura . . . but not as hazy as when I had it in the sunlight coming through my dining room window at home.

I also recruited one of my best friends to come take a look at it with me. She LOVED it and said she couldn''t even see the haze I was talking about and that it was the prettiest stone she''s ever seen . . . that makes me feel a lot better. Maybe, I am just being paranoid . . . there is that possibility . . . given that I am so nervous about my BF spending so much of his hard earned money on something for me . . . eek !!!

Thank you all for being so helpful, particularly those of you that took the time to post pictures so I could compare . . .I think we will probably keep it . . . we LOVE how it looks in halogen, fluorescent and shaded natural lighting . . . only direct sunlight, looking top down brings out the hazy quality but even then, it isn''t ugly, just different . . . I wish I could have all of you see it and give me personal opinions . . .

Date: 1/3/2007 11:32:03 AMAuthor: hikerchickAWESOME !!! Thank you for the pictures, Ellen and Al . . .I couldn''t locate my digital camera and now the sun is behind the clouds. Maybe if the sun comes out later today, I will try and take a picture of the diamond.

Al, in your second and third pictures and Ellen in both your pictures, I see the same ''hazy blue'' look I see in my diamond, only my haze might be a touch more . . . though it just might be that my stone looks like it has more cause it is a little bigger.

When I say it has a haze, it is that diffuse blue look.I still think it looks pretty . . . guess I have a decision to make.

Thanks guys. Hey keep the pictures coming . . . this is just the kind of comparison that will not only help me but all future PS users who are comparing a stone with fluor . . .

Your third option is to go and compare the stones that you''ve already seen and if this one beats out the B&M store stone, you can always return this stone and request something medium blue fluor. I know your boyfriend said to only try the one stone but if this stone is BETTER than the B&M stone and you can prove that to him then you know you can get a stone just like it without the fluor if that is what you would prefer :)

Sara

The most beautiful experience we can haveis the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. ~ Albert Einstein ~

Date: 1/3/2007 1:09:34 PMAuthor: shiatsuWell the GIA says that fluorenscent stones that actually have that hazy, oily look because of it are about as rare as stones that fluoresce a color other than blue.

The stone that I saw that was EXTREME ''milky'' had a bizarre ethereal beauty to it...indescribable - it was in a halo of fog but it was intriguing!!

Sara

The most beautiful experience we can haveis the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. ~ Albert Einstein ~

5 posts down - Garry''s post - don''t assess for fluoro in direct sunlight - this may be your problem.

pffft - you have to assess ALL aspects of the stone in ALL lightings you view it in - garry might not do an *official* evaluation (for consistency or other''s sake) in direct sun, but for a buyer, they need to evaluate wherever the heck they think of! lol!!

Sara

The most beautiful experience we can haveis the mysterious - the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. ~ Albert Einstein ~

With all my years of looking at and evaluating diamonds, when it came time to buy a single diamond for wearing for myself, I chose a very strong blue flourescenct stone. 1.84ct ideal cut. It is one of the diamonds in the Flourescence Video show on Pricescope. It is hazy much of the time and virtually violet in strong sunlight. It was a diamond few people would consider for an engagement ring as the flourescence really does alter the brilliancy and change the character of the stone, but for me, wanting something in a diamond yet still unique, it was just right.

I proabably would not advise anyone to chase such a stone unless it was far less costly, but it has been a pleasure to wear it and occasionally to explain it to others in the business. It is something few jewelers get to see being used and enjoyed by anyone, since we tend to thoughtlessly lump these stones into a "don't buy" category. Each diamond has its own special character.

I also use this diamond to prove my point that cutting parameters do not reliably predict light behavior results. One must measure directly and this diamond drives that point home effectively.

Date: 1/3/2007 2:44:01 PMAuthor: oldminerIt is hazy much of the time and virtually violet in strong sunlight.

It isn''t hazy at all until it is in direct sunlight . . . it is rated as strong blue, not very strong blue.Unfortunately, as much as I want you guys to make the decision for me I am gonna have to decide.We will try to see if the B&M stores will let us compare it to the others we have seen before we make a decision.I have until Sunday to send it back . . . but it is SO shiny and beautiful and ideally cut and the price is right so we might just decide to love it for its beauty AND its quirky blue fluor . . .I will keep you guys posted.

Well the GIA says that fluorenscent stones that actually have that hazy, oily look because of it are about as rare as stones that fluoresce a color other than blue.

The stone that I saw that was EXTREME ''milky'' had a bizarre ethereal beauty to it...indescribable - it was in a halo of fog but it was intriguing!!

Was that bizarre blue fog only there in sunlight or was it there in inside light also?I would describe the purple haze as an aura or a halo of purple but it is only there looking in direct sunlight top down. It disappears when I look at it in shaded sunlight . . . i.e. when I place my body in the way of the direct rays of the sun.

My real point is that grading strength of fluorescence is still subjective and that one can appreciate a diamond for how it looks, not what someone graded it. The fact that I like my fluorescent diamond should make you feel that it is your personal decision to like a stone or to decide to get another. What it is graded has far less to do with your personal choice once you understand that it isn''t a mistake to like a diamond with flourescence.

All my stones have a degree of blue fluor. I would not buy a stone without the quality. My 3c is listed as medium - appraiser said strong. It does have a purple "hue" in direct sunlight. I like the look - it looks like it''s glowing in the dark liike a beacon.

5 posts down - Garry''s post - don''t assess for fluoro in direct sunlight - this may be your problem.

pffft - you have to assess ALL aspects of the stone in ALL lightings you view it in - garry might not do an *official* evaluation (for consistency or other''s sake) in direct sun, but for a buyer, they need to evaluate wherever the heck they think of! lol!!

C- did you actually read Garry''s post? He said not to assess FLUORO in direct sunlight, bc it turns dark grey for other reasons (although he has mentioned sev times that diamonds in general never look great in direct sunlight). I agree with assessing in all lightings in general (I am certainly prime example #1 for doing this) to get a feel for the stone/make a decision, but this thread is specifically about her concerns about fluoro. If it is already going to look different in direct sunlight, then the point is that she said it is only in direct sunlight that she is noting this, so her problem may not be the actual fluoro, but simply the fact that is is in direct sunlight.

Hikerchick, for kicks you can go purchase a UV fluorescent bulb (the purple bulbs, but make sure it actually says UV fluorescent) - the coolness of what you see when you turn it on may make you want to keep it just to go to clubs with!

Date: 1/3/2007 3:30:35 PMAuthor: :)Hikerchick, for kicks you can go purchase a UV fluorescent bulb (the purple bulbs, but make sure it actually says UV fluorescent)

- the coolness of what you see when you turn it on may make you want to keep it just to go to clubs with!

Actually, my job (cancer research) gives me access to UV lighting in our cell culture hoods, so I have already looked at it under there . . . :)Also, when I went to the appraiser''s place, he showed me the diamond under UV. Unfortunately, it was nighttime and he couldn''t view the diamond in sunlight.